Rail-joint or rail-coupling



' (No Model.)

J. G. MILLER.

RAIL JOINT OR RAIL COUPLING.

No. 598,420. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

WITNESSES J aw yaw W ATTOHNEU UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. MILLER, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT OR RAIL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICLATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,420, datedNovember 9, 1897.

Application filedApril 5, 1897. Serial No. 630,713. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. MILLER, of Youngstown, Mahonin g county,Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailJoints orRail-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rail-joints or rail-couplings;and it pertains more especially to an improvement of the joint orcoupling disclosed in the United States Letters Patent No. 516,870,granted to me March 20, 1894:.

The primary object of my present invention is to so arrange and shapethe parts of the joint or coupling that a greater leverage is obtainedupon the pair of rail-engaging jaws of the coupling and said jaws arecaused to more vigorously bite or engage the rail, that thebearing-surface between the rails and jaw-levers is greater, and thatthe jaws more squarely engage the rails and are less liable to loosenand rattle.

-With this object in view and to the end of rendering the device moresimple and durable my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a top plan of a rail-joint orrail-coupling embodying my invention, showing two contiguous or abuttingrails joined or abutted together. Fig. II is a vertical transversesection on either one of lines II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a transversevertical section on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a transversevertical section showing the manner of assembling the parts in applyingmy improved joint or coupling.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the contiguous or abutting endportions of two rails. A pair of jaws B B are arranged to clamp or biteopposite sides, respectively, of

the rails at the meeting ends of the rails. Said jaws fit between thehead and base of the rails and are fulcrumed upon cylindrical portions,lugs, or bearings O integral with and formed upon opposite side edges,respectively, of plate 0, that rests upon a pair of ties T, to which therails are spiked, as atT. Said jaws extend through a slot 0 formed inand transversely of plate 0, between bearings O 0. Each jaw below theaxis of its fulcrum is provided with an inwardly and downwardly projecting flange or lever B. Flanges or levers B of the two jaws support ablock D, that engages the central portion of slot 0 and engages the baseof the meeting ends of the rails-that is, said ends of the rails bearupon block D. .The construction of the fulcrum of each jaw B consists ofa semicylindrical recess b, that is formed in the outer side of thelower end of the jaw and engages the inner portion of a cylindrical lug0. Block D extends between and is arranged below the axes of the jaws,and upon its under side is provided with two lugs cZ cl, arranged atopposite ends, respectively, of the block, and semicylindrical orarch-shaped upon their under side, and engaging correspondingly-shapedsurfaces formed upon the upper side of flanges or levers B The are shapeof and conformity between the opposing surfaces of said lugs andjaw-levers prevents rattling of the parts when the rolling-stock of acar or vehicle moves over the rails at the joint or coupling.

The levers or flanges B and the plate 0 of the joint or couplingdisclosed in the patent granted to me March 20, 1894, and hereinbeforereferred to, were horizontal or approximately so. The objection to thisconstruction was that it would interfere not only in the provision ofadequate bearing for block D, but the leverage of flanges B was notsufficient to cause the jaws to bite or engage the rails as vigorouslyas-was desired. Also the separate blocks D employed in the constructiondisclosed in said patent did not aiford as large a bearing for the railsas the single block employed in my improved device.

In my improved construction it will be observed that plate 0 has itscentral portion between bearings O depressed and the flanges or levers Bslope not only inwardly but downwardly, so that the block-engagingportions of said flanges are located considerably below (comparativelyspeaking) the axes of the jaws. The result is that said jaws or leversare longerthat is, the points of engagement between said levers and thelugs of block D are farther from the jaws axesthan in the constructionshown in my former Letters Patent. The depression of plate 0 isnecessary to accommodate the rails comparatively low location obtainedby the lengthening of the jaw-levers. I would also remark that plate 0upon its upper side is provided with upwardly-projecting lugs 0 arrangedto engage recesses Ct, formed in the edges of the bases of the rails.The engagement of these lugs with said recesses prevents endwisedisplacement of the rails, but of course the recesses should be somewhatlonger than the lugs to accommodate expansion and contraction of therails.

The rail-engaging jaws are recessed upon their inner sides, as at B toaccommodate the introduction of a wire rod or other instrument betweensaid jaws and the opposing sides of the rails for the purpose ofloosening or disengaging the jaws from the rails in removing the jointor coupling for repairs or other purposes.

\Vhat I claim is I. A rail-coupling consisting of ahorizontally-arranged plate C having two bearings O 0 formed uponopposite side-edges, respectively of the plate, and said plate, betweensaid bearings, being depressed and having a transverse slot 0 two jaws BB arranged to bite or engage opposite sides, respectively, of the railsand journaled upon the aforesaid bearings, and each of said jaws beingextended through the aforesaid slot and provided with a flange or leverprojecting inwardly and downwardly below its axis, and a block D restingupon the free ends of both flanges or levers and arranged to be engagedby the base of the rails, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. A rail-coupling consisting of four pieces, namely, ahorizontally-arranged plate 0 pro vided with two bearing-forminglugs O Cat opposite side edges, respectively, and said plate, between saidbearings, being depressed and having the transverse slot 0 two jaws B Bjournaled upon the different bearings, respectively, and arranged toengage opposite sides, respectively, of the rails to be coupled orjoined together, and each of said jaws being extended through theaforesaid slot, and below its axis having a downwardly and inwardlyextending flange or lever B, and the block D arranged within the slot inthe plate and below the jaws axes and provided, upon its under side,with two lugs arranged to rest upon the different flanges or levers,respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails and asuitably-supported horizontally-arranged plate below said ends and saidplate being provided with two lugs or bearings C" C at opposite sides,respectively, of

said ends, and being depressed and having the transverse slot C betweensaid bearings; of the two jaws B B arranged to engage op posite sides,respectively, of the rail and jour-. naled upon the different bearings,respectively, and said jaws extending downwardly through the aforesaidslot and provided with flanges or levers extending inwardly anddownwardly from the jaws axes,and the block D interposed between thebase of the rail and the free ends of said levers within the aforesaidslot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails and asuitably-supported horizontally-arranged plate below said ends and saidplate being provided with two lugs or bear.- ings G C at opposite sides,respectively, of said ends, and being depressed and having thetransverse slot 0 between said bearings; of the two jaws B B-recessedupon their inner sides and arranged to engage opposite sides,respectively, of the rail and journaled upon the different bearings,respectively, and said jaws being extended downwardly through theaforesaid slot and provided with flanges or levers extending inwardlyand downwardly from the jaws axes, and the block D interposed betweenthe base of the rail and the free ends of said levers within theaforesaid slot, and the engaging or opposing surfaces between said blockand levers being arcshaped, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination with the meeting ends of two rails having recesses inthe edges of their base, and a-suitably-supported horizontally-arrangedplate below said ends, and said plate being provided with two lugs orbearings C O at opposite sides, respectively, of said ends, and beingdepressed and having the transverse slot .0 between said bearings, andhaving the lugs or projections 0 upon its upper side; of the two jaws BB arranged to engage opposite sides, respectively, of the rail andjournaled upon the diiferent bearings, respectively, and said jaws beingextended downwardly through the aforesaid slot and provided with flangesor levers extending inwardly and downwardly from the jaws axes, and theblock D interposed between the base of the rail and the free ends ofsaid levers, within the aforesaid slot, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses,this 15th day of March, 1897.

JAMES G. MILLER.

Witnesses:

G. H. Donna, ELLA E. TILDEN.

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